Not literally looking like a pigsty. More like after a tornado or teen home-alone party, some such.
Extremely regular readers – well, probably only myself – will remember the Pigsty Project from last time I moved. It is a year and a half ago, after all. It was quite simple really: Each workday I would carry something, anything, out of the home, never to return. I could be an empty bottle, used batteries (we are not supposed to throw those in the household garbage around here), a used book to give to the second-hand book store. Anything that was not going to be used again, and that did not go in the regular garbage.
I am not sure when I started. If I had been smart, I had started as soon as I heard I would be moving, but I think I only did this the last few weeks. It was complicated by the fact that I also carried things each workday that I would bring to the new house before the actual move, so as to make that less.
I continued for some weeks after I moved too, because frankly there were still things left. Eventually it came to an end.
Yes, I have started it again. Strangely, there was now a multitude of such things. Partly there are new ones, like empty glasses that have held pasta sauce. Partly there are old ones, like the comics I was sure I was going to read again but never did. If I had a couple more months before the move, Â I could probably have made it off with them all. But I didn’t.
Needless to say, perhaps, this time I started as soon as I heard I would be moving. Â And I intend to continue until I am rid of everything I don’t need. This time, even the old computers will go, even if I have to carry them bit by bit. That is what I think. We shall see what actually happens. Yesterday and today I carried books. For tomorrow I have set a bag of comic books by the door. I brought along the glasses (as opposed to setting them adrift on the river) so they will also have to go. Â I think most of the rest I need to get rid of will be fit to throw in the garbage bin.
I got my own garbage bin! Even though it is only half a house. It is certified family residential unit so evidently I get my own. That should help. Well, if I don’t fall back to keeping everything “just in case” once I forget the packing and unpacking. What is the chance?
Apparently the keeping things “just in case” had some evolutionary benefits to our ancestors, because so many of us humans have it! I have office supplies and cooking materials for the same reason (I’ve been caught without some of each of them that I needed and it aggravated me!), plus books and clothes. Clothes do need to go, although I save special outfits of the children just for sentimental reasons. Books . . . well, I’m married to an excellent carpenter and I expect some day, somehow, to have shelves enough for all my books!
Getting rid of things is somewhat less urgent if you don’t plan to move ever again. My mother lived to about the age of 75 and only briefly left the house she was born in. My brother still lives there, and many of the walls are almost completely covered with books by now (or last I saw). There were in some cases even two layers of books!!
Not so realistic for me who seem to make a habit of moving on short notice.